Device for optically scanning and measuring an environment

ABSTRACT

In a device for optically scanning and measuring an environment, where the device is a laser scanner having a light emitter which, by a rotary mirror, emits an emission light beam, with a light receiver which receives a reception light beam, which, after passing the rotary mirror and a receiver lens which has an optical axis, is reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner. The laser scanner also includes a color camera which takes colored pictures of the environment of the laser scanner, and a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines the distance to the object and links it with the colored pictures, the color camera being arranged on the optical axis of the receiver lens.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Stage Application of PCTApplication No. PCT/EP2010/006867, filed on Nov. 11, 2010, which claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/299,166, filedon Jan. 28, 2010, and of pending German Patent Application No. DE 102009 055988.4, filed on Nov. 20, 2009, and which are hereby incorporatedby reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for optically scanning and measuringan environment.

By a device such as is known for example from U.S. Published PatentApplication No. 2010/0134596, and which comprises a laser scanner, theenvironment of the laser scanner can be optically scanned and measured.A rotary mirror which rotates and which comprises a polished plate of ametallic rotor, deflects both an emission light beam and a receptionlight beam. A collimator of a light emitter is seated in the center of areceiver lens. The receiver lens reproduces the reception light beam ona light receiver which is arranged on an optical axis behind thereceiver lens. For gaining additional information, a line scan camera,which takes RGB signals, is mounted on the laser scanner, so that themeasuring points of the scan can be completed by color information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are based on the object of creatingan alternative to the device of the type mentioned hereinabove.

The arrangement of a color camera on the optical axis of the receiverlens, with respect to the rotary mirror on the same side, has theadvantage of avoiding parallax errors almost completely, since the lightreceiver and the color camera take the environment from the same angleof view and with the same side of the rotary mirror. The same mechanismcan be used for the rotary mirror. The used side of the rotary mirror isthe same as well. The reception light beam being reflected by the rotarymirror is running in parallel to the optical axis of the receiver lensand continuously hitting on the receiver lens. The receiver lens takesthe place of the light receiver, so that there is no change of theshadowing effects. To be able to feed the emission light beam again, anemission mirror in front of the color camera is provided, where theemission mirror is reflecting for the emission light beam and istransparent for the color camera.

Due to the fact that a rear mirror, which reflects the reception lightbeam that has been refracted by the receiver lens towards the receiverlens, is provided on the optical axis behind the receiver lens, theavailable space can be better utilized. To complete the “folded optics,”a central mirror is provided between the receiver lens and the rearmirror, where the central mirror reflects the reception light beamtowards the rear mirror. A suitable form of the mirrors supportsfocusing, wherein the focusing length with respect to the unfoldedoptics can still be increased. The central mirror can be used fornear-field correction, similar to an additional mask, by reducing theintensity from the near field compared to the far field. Further savingsin space result from an arrangement of the light receiver radial to theoptical axis of the receiver lens in a cylinder-coordinate system whichis defined by the optical axis.

The design of the rotor as a hybrid structure, i.e. as a multi-elementstructure from different materials, permits a relatively short designwhich, despite the inclination of the rotary mirror, remains balanced. Acombination of a metallic holder, a rotary mirror of coated glass and aplastic housing may be used; however other combinations are possible aswell. The holder which is dominating with respect to the mass makesbalancing possible, while the housing serves as accidental-contactprotection. Glue between the rotor components makes balancing of thedifferent temperature coefficients of expansion possible withoutimpairing the dynamic behavior.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of anexemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional view of the laser scanner;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the laser scanner; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the rotor holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a laser scanner 10 is provided as a devicefor optically scanning and measuring the environment of the laserscanner 10. The laser scanner 10 has a measuring head 12 and a base 14.The measuring head 12 is mounted on the base 14 as a unit that can berotated about a vertical axis. The measuring head 12 has a rotary mirror16, which can be rotated about a horizontal axis. The intersection pointof the two rotational axes is designated center C₁₀ of the laser scanner10.

The measuring head 12 is further provided with a light emitter 17 foremitting an emission light beam 18. The emission light beam 18 may be alaser beam in the range of approximately 340 to 1600 nm wave length; forexample 790 nm, 905 nm or less than 400 nm. Also other electro-magneticwaves having, for example, a greater wave length can be used. Theemission light beam 18 is amplitude-modulated, for example with asinusoidal or with a rectangular-waveform modulation signal. Theemission light beam 18 is emitted by the light emitter 17 onto therotary mirror 16, where it is deflected and emitted to the environment.A reception light beam 20 which is reflected in the environment by anobject O or scattered otherwise, is captured again by the rotary mirror16, deflected and directed onto a light receiver 21. The direction ofthe emission light beam 18 and of the reception light beam 20 resultsfrom the angular positions of the rotary mirror 16 and the measuringhead 12, which depend on the positions of their corresponding rotarydrives which, in turn, are registered by one encoder each.

A control and evaluation unit 22 has a data connection to the lightemitter 17 and to the light receiver 21 in the measuring head 12,whereby parts of the unit 22 can be arranged also outside the measuringhead 12, for example a computer connected to the base 14. The controland evaluation unit 22 determines, for a multitude of measuring pointsX, the distance d between the laser scanner 10 and the illuminated pointat object O, from the propagation time of the emission light beam 18 andthe reception light beam 20. For this purpose, the phase shift betweenthe two light beams 18 and 20 is determined and evaluated.

Scanning takes place along a circle by means of the relatively quickrotation of the mirror 16. By virtue of the relatively slow rotation ofthe measuring head 12 relative to the base 14, the whole space isscanned step by step, by the circles. The entity of measuring points Xof such a measurement is designated as a scan. For such a scan, thecenter C₁₀ of the laser scanner 10 defines the origin of the localstationary reference system. The base 14 rests in this local stationaryreference system.

In addition to the distance d to the center C₁₀ of the laser scanner 10,each measuring point X comprises brightness information which isdetermined by the control and evaluation unit 22 as well. The brightnessvalue is a gray-tone value which is determined, for example, byintegration of the bandpass-filtered and amplified signal of the lightreceiver 21 over a measuring period which is attributed to the measuringpoint X. For certain applications it is desirable to have colorinformation in addition to the gray-tone value. The laser scanner 10 istherefore also provided with a color camera 23 which is connected to thecontrol and evaluation unit 22 as well. The color camera 23 maycomprise, for example, a CCD camera or a CMOS camera and provides asignal which is three-dimensional in the color space, for example an RGBsignal, for a two-dimensional picture in the real space. The control andevaluation unit 22 links the scan, which is three-dimensional in realspace, of the laser scanner 10 with the colored pictures of the colorcamera 23, which are two-dimensional in real space, such process beingdesignated “mapping”. Linking takes place picture by picture for any ofthe colored pictures which have been taken to give as a final result acolor in RGB shares to each of the measuring points X of the scan, i.e.to color the scan.

In the following, the measuring head 12 is described in details.

The reception light beam 20 which is reflected by the rotary mirror 16hits on a plano-convex, spherical receiver lens 30 which, in embodimentsof the present invention, has an approximate semi-spherical shape. Theoptical axis A of the receiver lens 30 is orientated towards the centerC₁₀ of the laser scanner. The convex side of the highly-refractivereceiver lens 30 is orientated towards the rotary mirror 16. The colorcamera 23 is arranged on the same side of the rotary mirror 16 as thereceiver lens 30 and on its optical axis A. In embodiments of thepresent invention, the color camera 23 is arranged on the point of thereceiver lens 30 which is closest to the rotary mirror 16. The colorcamera 23 may be fixed on the untreated surface of the receiver lens 30,for example, be glued on it, or be placed in an appropriate recess ofthe receiver lens 30.

In front of the color camera 23, i.e. closer to the rotary mirror 16, anemission mirror 32 is arranged, which is dichroic, i.e. in embodimentsof the present invention the mirror 32 transmits visible light andreflects red laser light. The emission mirror 32 is consequentlytransparent for the color camera 23, i.e. the mirror 32 offers a clearview onto the rotary mirror 16. The emission mirror 32 is at an anglewith the optical axis A of the receiver lens 30, so that the lightemitter 17 can be arranged at the side of the receiver lens 30. Thelight emitter 17, which comprises a laser diode and a collimator, emitsthe emission light beam 18 onto the emission mirror 32, from where theemission light beam 18 is then projected onto the rotary mirror 16. Fortaking the colored pictures, the rotary mirror 16 rotates relativelyslowly and step by step. However, for taking the scan, the rotary mirror16 rotates relatively quickly (e.g., 100 cps) and continuously. Themechanism of the rotary mirror 16 remains the same.

Due to the arrangement of the color camera 23 on the optical axis A ofthe receiver lens 30, there is virtually no parallax between the scanand the colored pictures. Since, in known laser scanners, the lightemitter 17 and its connection is arranged instead of the color camera 23and its connection, for example a flexible printed circuit board, theshadowing effects of the receiver lens 30, due to the color camera 23and to the emission mirror 32 do not change or change onlyinsignificantly.

To also register remote measuring points X with a relatively large focallength on the one hand and, on the other hand, to require relativelylittle space, the laser scanner 10 has “folded optics.” For thispurpose, a mask 42 is arranged on the optical axis A behind the receiverlens 30, where the mask is orientated coaxially to the optical axis A.The mask 42 is arranged radially inward (i.e., as referred to theoptical axis A) and has a relatively large free area to let thereception light beam 20, which is reflected by the remote objects O,pass unimpeded, while the mask 42, arranged radially outward, hasrelatively smaller shaded regions to reduce intensity of the receptionlight beam 20 which is reflected by nearby objects O, so that comparableintensities are available.

A rear mirror 43 is arranged on the optical axis A behind the mask 42,where the mirror is plane and perpendicular to the optical axis A. Therear mirror 43 reflects the reception light beam 20 which is refractedby the receiver lens 30 and which hits on the central mirror 44. Thecentral mirror 44 is arranged in the center of the mask 42 on theoptical axis A, which is shadowed by the color camera 23 and theemission mirror 32. The central mirror 44 is an aspherical mirror whichacts as both a negative lens, i.e. increases the focal length, and as anear-field-correction lens, i.e. shifts the focus of the reception lightbeam 20 which is reflected by the nearby objects O. Additionally, areflection is provided only by such part of the reception light beam 20,which passes the mask 42 which is arranged on the central mirror 44. Thecentral mirror 44 reflects the reception light beam 20 which hitsthrough a central orifice at the rear of the rear mirror 43.

The light receiver 21, which comprises an entrance diaphragm, acollimator with a filter, a collecting lens and a detector, is arrangedat the rear of the rear mirror 43. To save space, a reception mirror 45may be provided, which deflects the reception light beam 20 by 90°, sothat the light receiver 21 can be arranged radial to the optical axis A.With the folded optics, the focal length can be approximately doubledwith respect to known laser scanners.

Referring also to FIG. 3, the rotary mirror 16 as a two-dimensionalstructure is part of a rotor 61 which can be turned as athree-dimensional structure by the corresponding rotary drive, and theangle position of the drive is measured by the assigned encoder. To savespace also with respect to the rotary mirror 16 due to a relativelyshort design of the rotor 61 and to keep the rotor 61 balanced, therotor 61 is designed as hybrid structure, comprising a holder 63, therotary mirror 16 which is mounted at the holder 63 and a housing 65 madeof plastic material, where the housing additionally holds the rotarymirror 16.

The metallic holder 63 has a cylindrical basic shape with a 45° surfaceand various recesses. Portions of material, for example blades,shoulders and projections, each of which serves for balancing the rotor61, remain between theses recesses. A central bore serves for mountingthe motor shaft of the assigned rotary drive. The rotary mirror 16 ismade of glass, which is coated and reflects within the relevantwave-length range. The rotary mirror 16 is fixed at the 45° surface ofthe holder 63 by glue, for which purpose special attachment surfaces 63b are provided at the holder 63.

The housing 65 made of plastic material has the shape of a hollowcylinder which has been cut below 45° and encloses at least the holder63. The housing 65 can be glued to the rotary mirror 16 or be fixedotherwise. The housing 65 can clasp the rotary mirror 16 at itsperiphery, for example in a form-locking manner, if necessary with theinterposition of a rubber sealing or the like. The housing 65 can alsobe glued to the holder 63 or be otherwise fixed to the holder 63directly, or, by the mounting of the rotor 61, the housing 65 can beconnected to the holder 63, for example screwed to it, by an end plate67. The glue used on the one hand offsets the different temperaturecoefficients of expansion of the materials used and, on the other hand,leaves the dynamic behavior unaffected, for example shows an elasticitywhich is not relatively too large, to avoid speed-dependent unbalances.

The rotor 61 rotates about the optical axis A. The rotary mirror 16covers the holder 63 on one of its faces (namely on the 45° surface).The housing 65 covers the holder 63 radially outside with respect to theoptical axis A. Thus, sharp edges of the holders 63 are covered toprevent injuries. The holder 63 is balancing the rotor 61. Instead ofmetal, the holder 63 may be made of another relatively heavy material,dominating the moment of inertia. Instead of plastic, the housing 65 maybe made of another relatively light material, having few influences onthe moment of inertia. Instead of coated glass, the rotary mirror 16 maybe reflective (and transparent) otherwise. Designed as a hybridstructure, the rotary mirror 16, the holder 63, and the housing 65 areseparately formed parts fixed together.

1. A device for optically scanning and measuring an environment,comprising: a laser scanner having a light emitter that emits anemission light beam, the laser scanner also having a rotary mirror, thelaser scanner further having a light receiver that receives a receptionlight beam, where the emission light beam is reflected by the rotarymirror to an object in the environment, where a portion of the emissionlight beam is reflected by the object to produce the reception lightbeam, and where the reception light beam is reflected by the rotarymirror and passes through a receiver lens which has an optical axis; andthe laser scanner also comprises a color camera that takes coloredpictures of the environment of the laser scanner, and a control andevaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines adistance to the object and links the distance with the colored pictures,wherein the color camera is arranged on the optical axis of the receiverlens.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the color camera is arranged atthe point of the receiver lens which is closest to the rotary mirror. 3.The device of claim 1, wherein the color camera is fixed to the surfaceof the receiver lens or arranged in a recess of the receiver lens. 4.The device of claim 1, wherein the receiver lens comprises aplano-convex spherical lens, wherein a convex side of the spherical lensis orientated towards the rotary mirror.
 5. The devise of claim 1,wherein an emission mirror is arranged between the color camera and therotary mirror, wherein the emission mirror is at an angle with respectto the optical axis.
 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the emissionmirror is reflecting for the emission light beam and transparent for thecolor camera.
 7. The device of claim 5, wherein the light emitter emitsthe emission light beam onto the emission mirror.
 8. The device of claim1, wherein the light emitter is arranged at the side of the receiverlens.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the rotary mirror rotatesrelatively quickly and continuously for capturing the reception lightbeam, and wherein the rotary mirror rotates relatively slowly and stepby step when the color camera is taking the colored pictures.
 10. Thedevice of claim 1, further comprising a measuring head that rotatesabout a vertical axis and bears the light emitter, the receiver lens,the color camera, the light receiver and the rotary mirror, wherein therotary mirror rotates about the optical axis which is arranged in ahorizontal manner.